By Mick Woodcock

In Part 1, last week, we began the story of Russian immigrants, referred to in the newspapers as Molokans, but who called themselves, according to an article in the August 10, 1917 Prescott Journal-Miner, “Holy-Jumpers” or Spiritual Christian Pryguny (the proper Russian term) and disavowed being Molokans.  These were the men whose religious beliefs kept them from registering for military service.  This week we resume the story as the men are reporting to the Federal Court in Phoenix to face the consequences.

A streetcar filled beyond capacity with Pryguny came to a stop a few blocks from City Hall. There were large yellow signs on the front and back of the car that read “SLACKERS.”  They ignored that and the whole group, young men, older men and women, started singing a hymn.

Assistant United States Attorney J. H. Langston asked why the men refused to register.  The answer was that, while they were not against the laws of the United States, they believed that the Holy Spirit had commanded them not to register so they would not.  Langston said that they were breaking Federal law and must be arrested.  At this, all of the Pryguny in the room broke out in song and began jumping.  Just as quickly as it started, it stopped.  Langston used this opportunity to clear the courtroom except for the draft resisters, whom he arrested and sent off to jail.

The 35 men spent three days in the hot, overcrowded jail where they refused to eat the jail food. They were finally released on June 12, 1917, on bail of $100 per man.  The men returned to their farms.

Feelings in the community towards the Pryguny were mixed.  Some favored letting them go, as they were hard working, honest individuals.  Others felt they deserved to be punished to the full extent of the law.  Officials in Washington, DC, wanted to make an example of them since this case had made national news.

U. S. District Judge William H. Sawtelle proposed an October trial date citing temperatures in Phoenix running between 105 and 112 degrees. The Department of Justice indicated it must be sooner, rather than later.  The date was set for August 6. All went to Phoenix.

The men were arraigned and then told to return the next day for the trial to continue. The entire group returned the next day where the young men were asked how they pleaded.  Not guilty, they responded, and were told to return the next day for the trial to continue.  All returned on the eighth. Having arrived two hours early they asked permission to go into the street to sing and march. They were allowed to do this; however, the singing and jumping drew such a crowd that the police attempted to break up the march. In desperation, the police called the fire department to turn fire hoses on the group, which finally quieted things down.

Judge Sawtelle barred all visitors from the courtroom.  The first defendant was Isai J. Bagdanoff. He pleaded not guilty.  The jury deliberated for a few minutes and found him guilty.  The other defendants waived trial by jury and were all found guilty by the Judge.  He sentenced them to serve in one year in the Yavapai County jail.

Under the guard of U. S. Marshal J. D. Dillion, the men were marched to the railway station where tearful goodbyes were said.  The men were put on a railway car and headed for Prescott. They arrived in the middle of the night and were marched to the County Jail with singing and jumping done the entire way.                                                                     

On January 10, 1918, the men were given “questionnaires” to fill out.  Although at sentencing they had been told that by law they were inducted into the army, the government was still trying to get them to sign registration papers.  Thinking that if they signed the paper, they would be released, 28 men signed.  All were finally released on June 8.  Those that had signed the paper were free to go; those that did not were re-arrested.

These six men served the rest of their prison sentence and then were taken by military personnel to Fort Huachuca, Arizona. There they refused to do military service and were transferred to Fort Riley, Kansas, where they were incarcerated with other conscientious objectors.  Still failing to obey orders, they were court-martialed, convicted of failing to obey the orders of an officer, and sentenced to serve between 15 and 25 years at the military penitentiary at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

On April 12, 1919, they were given dishonorable discharges, put on a train and sent home. They arrived in Glendale on the 14^th.  They had spent 614 days in confinement.

U. S. District Court Judge William H. Sawtelle, presiding judge at the Prygun trial. Photo Courtesy Tom K. Sawtelle.

Yavapai County Courthouse, Jail House (center) and Greenhouse, Prescott, c. 1890. The Pryguny were imprisoned in the Jail House. It was later moved from the plaza to another location for the construction of the current courthouse and was not there in 1917.
Photo Courtesy Sharlot Hall Museum, Call Number BU-G-0513PB.

U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, c. 1918. Public domain.

“Days Past” is a collaborative project of the Sharlot Hall Museum and the Prescott Corral of Westerners International (www.prescottcorral.org). This and other Days Past articles are also available at www.sharlothallmuseum.org/library-archives/days-past. The public is encouraged to submit proposed articles to dayspastshmcourier@gmail.com. Please contact SHM Library & Archives reference desk at 928-277-2003, or via email at dayspastshmcourier@gmail.com for information.